An overview of the Democratic Republic of Congo

By Julie Kabukanyi

Capital City: Kinshasa.

Location: Congo is located in the middle of Africa. Frantz Fanon, a famous Caribbean writer once wrote: ‘If Africa was a gun; the trigger will be the Congo”. He probably never knew how close to the truth he was. Truly imagine, take Africa and put her on her knees and she takes the shape of a gun and her trigger is the Congo! Congo is bordered by 9 countries: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Climate: tropical, hot and humid. Congo has 2 seasons: the dry season (June-August): cool and dry (60’s) and the rainy season (September to May): rainy, hot and humid. (Temperatures averaging the mid 90’s)

Natural resources: always been known as a geological scandal: it is immensely rich in minerals: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber, coltan.

Population: about 58 million inhabitants (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups: more than 350 ethnic groups each with its distinct language.

Languages: French is the official language, Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili, and Tshiluba. Each Congolese speaks two or more of these languages.

Provinces: Kinshasa (about 6  millions pop.), Province Orientale, Kasaï Occidental,

Kasaï Oriental, Nord Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Maniema, Equateur, Bandundu, Bas Congo.

Currency: the Congolese Franc (CDF): 1 dollar equals 450 CDF.

Economy: the economy has declined drastically since the mid-80’s and has worsened with the war that began in 1998. Industries: mining: diamonds, copper and zinc, agriculture products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, banana, corn, fruits, and wood products. Recently it has been discovered that the major ingredient in the making of cell phones: the Coltan is exclusively found in Eastern Congo.

History: can be divided into several periods:

1. The original inhabitants were forest dwellers, mostly hunters and gatherers in the northern part of the actual Congo. They were invaded later by the Bantu speaking people whose culture was based on ironworking and agriculture.
2. In the 15^th century (1482), a Portuguese explorer “discovered” the Congo and the slavery trade began. The slave trade was abolished in 1885.
3. In 1885, at the Berlin Conference where European nations met to abolish slavery and decide of the fate of Africa, King Leopold of Belgium persuaded other European countries to recognize Congo as his personal territory which he named the Congo Free State and he cruelly exploited the Congolese for his own interests. As many as 10 millions Congolese died between 1880 and 1910. They were forced to collect ivory and rubber and build railroad.
4. In 1908, the Belgian government took control of the colony and renamed it the Belgian Congo.
5. On June 30, 1960, the country became independent with as President Kasa Vubu and as Prime Minister Lumumba. Lumumba was later assassinated and Mobutu took power by overthrowing Kasa Vubu.
6. For 32 years Mobutu ruled the country, installed a government of terror, tyranny and destroyed the economy. He brought a policy of corruption and nepotism.
7. In 1996, Mobutu was overthrown by Kabila, a long-time rebel with the help of Rwanda and Uganda.
8. In August 1998, Congo was invaded by neighboring Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi under the false pretense of tracking interhamwe rebels, in order to shamelessly exploit Congo’s riches. To date more than 3.5 million Congolese have died from war and war-related causes: infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, TB, starvation. Women and girls particularly have been the victims of rapes and intense sufferings and violence by all armies and militia involved in the war, as well as by the UN forces “peacekeepers”.
9. July 1999: The Lusaka accord: a cease-fire was proposed in Lusaka, Zambia of which all parties signed by the end of August
10. In 2001, Kabila was assassinated by Rwandans who felt that he was not keeping his promises of power sharing. His son, Joseph Kabila was sworn into presidency.
11. Transitional government in place since 2003 with 1 president and 4 vice-presidents to prepare the country for elections to be held in 2005.
12. Presidential elections were held on July 30, 2006. In October 2006, on the second round of election, Joseph Kabila was elected president of the DRC and sworn into office in January 2007. Political unrest and insecurity continues on the eastern part of the country.